Lemoine Pauset - Chaconnes (2) - Alto

Summary of This Score

Conceived as a double chaconne, this score by Brice Pauset develops two complementary logics: on one hand, a variation derived from a highly directive discursive material; on the other, a more circular evolution of clearly identified figures capable of exchanging some of their criteria. The composer evokes an idea of "gestural modulation," where the transformation plays less on a single parameter than on the perception of the musical gesture, its weight, and its trajectory.

At the heart of the piece, silence takes on a strong structural value. It acts as a memory device for what precedes, first allowing the previous measure to resonate, then progressively reducing the auditory image until only the salient element remains, notably the pizzicato. By its duration, silence also becomes a questioning tool: it prepares the ear for the continuation of the discourse and enhances discrimination between figurative elements by making the balance of attacks, timbres, and roles more sensitive.

The first part (tempo I) serves as a model: it exposes several elements within a framework of fluctuating pitches, deliberately fleeting, and it is the interplay of silences that triggers changes, recompositions, and reorientations of the material. This strategy gives rise to a true perceptual "mirage": the underlying chaconne maintains its own autonomy, while the dramaturgy of silence constantly reconfigures the way the form is heard. A contemporary viola score ideal for working on rhythmic precision, resonance management, and the construction of musical discourse.

Technical specifications

Musical Genre

Classical

Publication

Sheet music

Composer	Brice Pauset	Genre	contemporary score
Instrumentation	viola	Year of publication	1991